Holy Crap! cargo ships filled with WMD???

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-02-19 03:30pm

more sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international ... 73,00.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms. ... d=37985838

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5013011.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay. ... tion=world

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-02-19 03:35pm

NecronLord wrote:NEUTRON BOMBS. We developed them for a reason...

A neutron bomb would deal with most biological agents but radiation isn't particularly effective against chemical agents. Since chemical agents break down when exposed to high temperatures, the most surefire way to deal with these things is to shoot them with a high-yield nuke on a contact (or close proximity) fuze with the intention of utterly vaporizing the ships and cargo. Nuclear fallout from a surface burst would be a right bitch, though. Better be really sure what the ships are carrying before shooting.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2003-02-19 03:49pm

Enlightenment wrote:
NecronLord wrote:NEUTRON BOMBS. We developed them for a reason...
A neutron bomb would deal with most biological agents but radiation isn't particularly effective against chemical agents. Since chemical agents break down when exposed to high temperatures, the most surefire way to deal with these things is to shoot them with a high-yield nuke on a contact (or close proximity) fuze with the intention of utterly vaporizing the ships and cargo. Nuclear fallout from a surface burst would be a right bitch, though. Better be really sure what the ships are carrying before shooting.

Ah yes, but it would kill the crew before they could scuttle the ship. Destroying the agents is a bonus (radiation even at that intensity doesn't garuntee a destroyed virus, bacteria are no problem though IIRC) After which you can send NBC troops to storm the ship and remove the WMD cargo to a safe location for expert destruction.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-02-19 04:03pm

ok, since they are in a violation of martime law, why doesn't the Coast Guard of some country board the ships...

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-02-19 04:04pm

NF_Utvol wrote:ok, since they are in a violation of martime law, why doesn't the Coast Guard of some country board the ships...

because they are afriad the crew will scuttle the ship spilling Bio chem agents into the sea. not paying attention?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-02-19 04:25pm

Tanker + cargo of dioxins x sinking in New York, London and Hong Kong harbour = massive environmental fuck up.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-02-19 04:38pm

I think its bullshit.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-02-19 04:41pm

Howedar wrote:I think its bullshit.

So far no real sources on it, but if it is true then we have a problem.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-02-19 04:45pm

Emphasis on the "if its true." The story has a few credibility problems--such as a lack of hard data on the ships and why Jordan and Syria would allow a literal shipload of Iraqi WMD through their territories--but it's not so far gone to be immediately dropped in the kook bin.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2003-02-19 05:12pm

Enlightenment wrote:Emphasis on the "if its true." The story has a few credibility problems--such as a lack of hard data on the ships and why Jordan and Syria would allow a literal shipload of Iraqi WMD through their territories--but it's not so far gone to be immediately dropped in the kook bin.

Quite right, Syria may have no love for the US (it has no love for Iraq either, eh) but Jordan would shit themselves if Iraq tried to get WMDs shipped from their. Jordan has a large reputation at stake as being US/Western friendly, they cannot afford to be put on Bush's Shit List. Thus, I imagine they watch their harbors very carefully for this sort of thing, to protect their status as Not-A-Terrorist-State-Please-Don't-Bomb-Us.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-02-19 05:19pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:
Enlightenment wrote:Emphasis on the "if its true." The story has a few credibility problems--such as a lack of hard data on the ships and why Jordan and Syria would allow a literal shipload of Iraqi WMD through their territories--but it's not so far gone to be immediately dropped in the kook bin.
Quite right, Syria may have no love for the US (it has no love for Iraq either, eh) but Jordan would shit themselves if Iraq tried to get WMDs shipped from their. Jordan has a large reputation at stake as being US/Western friendly, they cannot afford to be put on Bush's Shit List. Thus, I imagine they watch their harbors very carefully for this sort of thing, to protect their status as Not-A-Terrorist-State-Please-Don't-Bomb-Us.

on a side note did you know that the King of Jordan was an extra on Voyager? apparantly he is a bit of a trekkie.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-02-19 05:49pm

Whoa, crazy.

By the way, Jordan has no harbors.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-02-19 05:55pm

Howedar wrote:By the way, Jordan has no harbors.

Ah, yes. It's landlocked.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fac ... os/jo.html

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-02-19 05:59pm

Enlightenment wrote:
Howedar wrote:By the way, Jordan has no harbors.
Ah, yes. It's landlocked.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fac ... os/jo.html

(to the tune of the bone song)
...Iraq is connected to Jor-dan
Jordan's connected to...Syria....
Sy-ria's connected to the Meda-terrian
and the bombs sail away!

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2003-02-19 06:03pm

Maybe a fuel air bomb out in the middle of the sea near no land would do the trick...

Post by **weemadando** » 2003-02-19 07:44pm

This reminds me of the blue water freighter some Russian military types converted into a "world-killer" bomb by packing it full of fissile material and warheads.

Then Khruschev found out and had them all shot/sent to the gulags and the ship dismantled.

And I don't think that even if they exist they would be "packed full of WMDs", maybe a few barrels of shit onboard...

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-02-19 08:21pm

The Nine Network over here in Australia (One of our major Television Networks, though I'd take anything they say with as much salt as I would a Fox News broadcast) has picked up the story.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2003-02-19 08:45pm

If it's linked from the Drudge Report, I'd discount it's credibility immediately. Drudge is a hack.

Since Drudge simply links to other news storys, how can he be a hack? He's broken quite a few in the past(Mostly Clinton related but to be fair, its not that hard to find Clinton doing somthin unethical or downright illeagle)

Of course if you want to provided some examples of where he fucked up in the past or otherwise acted like a Hack I'd love to hear em

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-02-19 10:12pm

Howedar wrote:Whoa, crazy.

By the way, Jordan has no harbors.

Jordan has the port of Aqaba on the gulf by the same name.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-02-19 10:15pm

IRG CommandoJoe wrote:Maybe a fuel air bomb out in the middle of the sea near no land would do the trick...

That wont come close to working. No fuel air bomb comes even close to the needed power. The only thing that would be totally effective would be to vaprioze the ship by exploding a nuke very close too it so its within the fireball. Only that would spread a lot of radioactivity around.

Beyound that, it might be possibul to storm it in time, or try to ram it ashore and hope it goes down in shallow enough water for quick salvage.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-02-19 10:17pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Jordan has the port of Aqaba on the gulf by the same name.

Eeh, I just remembered Jordan being essentially landlocked. Apparently, the key word is "essentially."

irishmick79 · Post by **irishmick79** » 2003-02-19 10:27pm

Mr Bean wrote:
If it's linked from the Drudge Report, I'd discount it's credibility immediately. Drudge is a hack.
Since Drudge simply links to other news storys, how can he be a hack? He's broken quite a few in the past(Mostly Clinton related but to be fair, its not that hard to find Clinton doing somthin unethical or downright illeagle)

Of course if you want to provided some examples of where he fucked up in the past or otherwise acted like a Hack I'd love to hear em

http://archive.salon.com/21st/rose/1997 ... aight.html

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/10/16/185439.php

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/extra/drudge.html

Drudge let his own well documented hatred for Clinton cripple his credibility. When a reporter's own personal grudges become the driving force for a story, they can't be trusted at all. That's why I think drudge is a hack.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2003-02-19 10:38pm

Crap. That's friggin scary.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-02-20 12:59am

I still think this story is a load of crap. Do we have a decent source yet?

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-02-20 01:11am

Sea Skimmer wrote:Beyound that, it might be possibul to storm it in time, or try to ram it ashore and hope it goes down in shallow enough water for quick salvage.

Better hope that the ships (assuming they exist) are merely safekeeping WMD rather than floating doomsday devices intended to detonate, spill or release <whatever> should Saddam have a terminal encounter with someone's rifle. If they're doomsday ships then the absolute last thing anyone should do with them is bring them near a coastline.

If boarding isn't possible, nuke 'em in mid ocean. If that's not possible, torpedo them over somewhere very, very deep and hope for the best.